Container for beverages



June 1963 P. E. BRUNTON HAL 2 CONTAINER FOR BEVERAGES Filed March 2'7,1961 Glass bottles in which the vast majority of beverages is sold haveobvious disadvantages. They are so expensive that they are notexpendable, so that they are inended to be recovered and must be cleanedbefore reuse; they are easily breakable and when broken, are a hazard;they are heavy and bulky to transport; and in pub ic places they are aptto be left lying around as litter.

Cans, which are beginning to replace bottles as containers are alsoexpensive, especially as they are expendable; and are unsi htly whenleft as litter.

The object of this invention is to provide a container which hasadvantages over known containers and which minimize at least in part thedemerits of standard articles.

According to the invention, the container is of plastic material andconsists in a hollow body having a tapered eck, a duct substantiallycoextensive with the length of the body, integral with it and locatedalongside it, a web separating the body and the duct and discontinuedbetween the neck and the duct, a port between the lower end of the ductand the cavity of the body close to the base of the latter, and apassage between the neck of the body and the upper end of the duct.

Several embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanyingdrawings in which FIGURE 1 is a side view, and

FIGURE 2 is a plan view.

In the drawings it will be seen that the container has a triangularprismatic body (which may however have any desired shape) terminating atthe top in a neck 12 through which it is filled. Alongside the body is atubular duct 14 connected to the body by a narrow web 16. The lower endof the duct 14 is open to the cavity of the body through a port 18. Theweb 16 is discontinued in the vicinity of the neck 12 to save material;or sutficient of it may be left to be used as a base for insignia suchas a printed or embossed name.

The container is of plastic material suitable for the contents of thebottle; that is to say it is non-toxic and suiliciently liquid and, ifnecessary, gas-impervious for its task.

If the duct 14 were merely sealed at the top the container would have-d1e disadvantage that, if the container ed erases Patent "ice holdscarbonated liquid, severance of the duct end may cause a spurt of liquidfrom the duct due to the pressure in the free space 21 in the body aboveliquid level. It would be the second disadvantage, noted above, thatsucking up the liquid through the duct would cause a vacuum in the bodyabove liquid level. To avoid these disadvantages a passage 22 isprovided between the upper end of the duct and the neck 12 of the body.A line of weakness 2% may be located below the junction 24 of duct andpassage. On severance of the top of the duct, either at the line 29 or,if it be not present, below the junction 24, immediately releases excesspressure in the free space 21 to atmosphere. Furthermore, as drinkingproceeds, no barometric eflect results, as the free space 21 isconstantly open to atmosphere.

The passage 22 may have a line of weakness at 26, to enable it to becompletely torn away from the container.

The container is conveniently made in two sections, sealed together,with the upper end left open for filling; and afiter filling the top ofthe container is sealed along the line 28 and trimmed.

The merits of the container of the invention are manifold. Packaging,storage and transport are greatly aided and cheapened. The container ischeap to make and is more easily disposed of and is less unsightly thana glass or metal bottle if left littered around. The sealing operationis less costly and troublesome than the conven tional sealing, as crowncorks or crimping are avoided.

Finally the inclusion of a built-in straw saves cost to the retailer andis a convenience to the user.

What we claim is:

1. A container of plastic material, consisting in a hollow body having atapering neck, a duct substantially coextensive with the length of thebody, integral with it and located alongside it, a web separating thebody and the duct and discontinued between the neck and the duct, 21port between the lower end of the duct and the cavity of the body closeto the base of the latter, and a passage between the neck of the bodyand the upper end of the duct.

2. The container of claim 1 in which the passage is a tube, andincluding a line of weakness formed at the upper end of the duct belowits junction with the tube, to facilitate severance of the terminal panof the duct.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS591,735 Brewer Oct. 12, 1897 2,432,132 Allen Dec. 9, 1947 2,789,728Britton Apr. 23, 1957 2,992,118 Daline July 11, 1961

1. A CONTAINER OF PLASTIC MATERIAL, CONSISTING IN A HOLLOW BODY HAVING ATAPERING NECK, A DUCT SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE WITH THE LENGTH OF THEBODY, INTEGRAL WITH IT AND LOCATED ALONGSIDE IT, A WEB SEPARATING THEBODY AND THE DUCT AND DISCONTINUED BETWEEN THE NECK AND THE DUCT, A PORTBETWEEN THE LOWER END OF THE DUCT AND THE CAVITY OF THE BODY CLOSE TOTHE BASE OF THE LATTER, AND A PASSAGE BETWEEN THE NECK OF THE BODY ANDTHE UPPER END OF THE DUCT.